45 Ideas for Warm and Welcoming Porches

Get inspired

This dream porch was created during a re-do of a 1930s Lake Michigan cabin. The screen porch was enlarged to 20 x 20 feet for entertaining, and the porch's new 18-foot-tall stone fireplace includes a raised hearth that's wide enough for sitting.

If you like the look, adapt parts of it to fit your budget: the pretty green beams, a comfy sofa, even just an unusual end table.

Colorful mixes

Bright Adirondacks contrast with white heirloom wicker and carry the same color scheme as the fabric used in the upholstery and pillows for a pretty lakeside palette. "We live on the porch," says the owner of this Door County, Wisconsin, home. "The water, the breeze—it's spectacular!"

Country clever

On the wraparound porch of this Nebraska farmhouse, a painted farm table and wire chairs with new cushions echo the interior. A weathered windmill tail propped against the porch wall becomes uncommon art.

Add a hammock

Comfort zone

An "entryway" of potted plants leads to furniture arranged for conversation, creating the sense of a special retreat on a large porch. Outdoor-safe fabrics mean there is no reason to skimp on cushions and pillows.

Stay-awhile style

The relaxed, stay-awhile style of the porch in this Michigan vacation home comes from revived bargain finds: wicker furniture painted black, pillows wearing grain sacks, an old factory cart converted into a coffee table and a metal watering jug made into a lamp. A focal-point burgundy potbelly stove heats the space in fall and winter when glass panes replace screens.

Comfy and casual

These northern Wisconsin homeowners added a retractable canvas cover to turn part of their deck into a porch with a view. The decor throughout the renovated 1983 home is "cabin-y, casual, unpretentious," says the homeowner, with a mix of hand-me-down furniture and repurposed pieces from secondhand stores and tag sales.

Put your feet up

A cut above

Fresh bouquets set out on a shelf put blooms in the spotlight. The botanical feel continues in floral prints on pillows that soften a mix of old and new furnishings. Toe-pleasing rugs and a soft palette make it all the more relaxed.

Cottage look

Weather-resistant wicker furniture is just the ticket for comfortable outdoor seating areas that expand your living space and set a cottage mood at your front door. Include indoor amenities such as comfy cushions and a coffee table for drinks and books.

Entertaining look

Borrow on indoor spaces to enhance a deck. Artwork on the wall, lamps, pillows, books on the table—these are details that give it life. Weatherproof cushions on teak furniture invite lounging. Orange toss pillows add citrusy splashes of color. And a rolling bar cart eases entertaining.

Screen scene

Conversation starter

Pulling all the furniture up to a coffee table outside does the same trick as indoor seating arrangments—facilitates conversation. The oversize basket under the coffee table provides convenient storage for throws for when there is a chilll in the air.

Twilight time

As dusk falls, there is no reason to go inside when you've provided subtle lighting and warmth. No built-in fireplace? Ethanol-burning fireplaces are safe for patio use and come in a variety of sizes from wall-mount to table-top.

Kicking back

On this wide front porch, extra-large planters full of ferns and creeping Jenny echo the green of the landscaping. Bold stripes on chair cushions and paper lanterns add modern kick, plus the black-and-white scheme is oh-so-trendy.

Open and shut case

Hanging around

Repeating the hanging lighting style pulls together areas for different uses. One chandelier over the conversation area and one over the dining table unify the spaces even while a rug underfoot delineates them.